Today we’d like to introduce you to Felicia Momon
Hi Felicia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born and raised in Atlanta, GA, I am a small business owner, a non-profit leader, a women’s and marriage ministry leader, a wife, a sister, and a mother. My husband and I have a modern day, blended family “brady bunch” with 3 boys and 3 girls.
My journey began when I was a teenager with a natural business sense and a creative gift. I sang, played the piano, and directed the choir at my church from a very young age. I lead show choir at school and organized black history programs at school. Was a state 4 x 100 relay champ a cheerleader and was also very active in youth ministry, where I discovered my talent for creating impactful programs and event planning. As a young person, I emerged as a leader among my peers, driven by a love for community and bringing people together to do big things.
After graduating from Johnson C. Smith University with a BA in Marketing, my first job was selling Kirby vacuums door-to-door. It was the first opportunity I could find, and surprisingly, I excelled at it. This experience taught me grit and revealed my knack for connecting with people. More importantly, it showed me that God honors our hearts and motives. My success in selling Kirby vacuums stemmed from my genuine desire to contribute to my household and alleviate stress for my mom and dad. I had a strong desire to be a contributor and my hard work was met with unexpected success in door to door sales.
My next chapter spanned over two decades with a company where I started as a biller and worked my way up to managing a team of 13 -17 across the country. During this time, amidst a divorce and raising two small children, I returned to graduate school to earn my MBA in Operations Management. This period ignited my passion for entrepreneurship and the concept of making a significant impact through strategic, efficient solutions.
I joined a small successful business, where I became COO. This role allowed me to learn a lot about small business and the difference dynamic leadership could make. Inspired by this, I founded Out of the Box Remedies LLC. My goal was to provide solopreneurs and small business owners with a flexible, comprehensive solution for their back-office needs. We became a one-stop shop, adapting to the varying demands of our clients.
One of our projects involved helping a founder establish a non-profit. After a year and a half of planning, I was asked to lead the organization, which I accepted with joy. As a preacher’s kid, I had always had a heart for serving others and ministry. In November 2023, I joined forces with Judge Hilliard Castilla and M. Gino Brogdon to start Vanguard Leadership Academy. We hit the ground running with the immediate start of our Student Leadership Ambassador Program, followed by our first Summer Leadership Intensive (SLI) in June 2024. This collaboration brought together our shared vision of empowering young leaders and making a lasting impact on their lives. We welcomed 18 high school students and spent four weeks teaching them self-awareness, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and emotional intelligence.
One poignant moment was during an interview with a parent and child who had been bullied in middle school. I vowed to ensure that this child would walk into high school unafraid and supported by a community. By the end of the program, not only had we achieved this, but the students also left with a stronger sense of self, tools for success, and a newfound understanding of leadership.
This experience changed me profoundly. It showed me the power of love, care, and dedication in making a lasting impact on young lives. Today, we continue to support these students, inviting them into our community and encouraging them to build their networks. Our mission is to empower underserved and overlooked high school students, equipping and inspiring them to reach their full potential. Through holistic education, instilling confidence, increasing awareness, and fostering community, we are helping the next generation of leaders unlock their hidden potential and unleash unlimited opportunities.
In addition to my work with Vanguard Leadership Academy, I am excited to announce the launch of Rooted, a new business segment of Out of the Box Remedies. Rooted will serve as a purpose and accountability partner for kingdom causes, focusing on working with non-profits, ministries, community-based programs, and others called to do purpose-driven work. This initiative allows us to provide business and ministry support to organizations that need team members who can not only perform the work but can also be an encourager and in alignment with the soul of kingdom work. I believe that it is important to have people on your team that can not only support the work that needs to be done but can bring a positive attitude and genuine care about the difference we can make when we bring people together who truly believe in doing good where the focus is not on profit, but purpose.
By integrating my passion for leadership and service with my entrepreneurial spirit, I am committed to making a meaningful difference in both the business and non-profit sectors. Through Vanguard Leadership Academy, Out of the Box Remedies LLC and Rooted, I aim to empower individuals and organizations to achieve their full potential and create lasting, positive change in themselves and their communities.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Coming home from college and selling vacuums door-to-door was a bit of a struggle because it wasn’t what I had envisioned for myself. I had gone to college, earned a degree, and expected “more.” However, this experience taught me humility, grit, and self-belief. It also taught me that it’s not about what the job is, but who you are. Every job is important, and no one is better than another just because they have a “better” job. I learned that passion can be found in the simplest of things, like showing people how to better clean their homes.
Balancing career and personal life is always a challenge, especially with young children. I was working a job that required about 35% travel, attending school in person, waking up at 5 am, going to work, and not getting home until 11 pm from school. It was hard but I was motivated by getting back on track financially post-divorce and being an example of resilience and faith for my kids. I remained focused and I finished strong. Rebuilding financially and regaining my confidence was another significant struggle. Trusting myself again to make good decisions and focusing on rebuilding for myself and my kids was crucial.
Starting Out of the Box Remedies LLC came with its own set of challenges. Stepping out on my own was an act of faith and obedience. Leaving a good job to start a business was not an easy decision but when God said it was time to shift, I obeyed. Just three months after starting the business, COVID-19 hit. I was doing very well for a new business. I had clients right away and had made up a great deal of the income Id left behin in the first few months. I was certain I would surpass my previous income within the first 1-2 years of business, but then COVID-19 hit. All but one of my clients had to shut their doors, and I gladly let everyone out of their contracts. This was a financially challenging time because both my husband and I were small business owners and both of our businesses were not in full operation. To boot, my identity had been tampered with so I could not even collect unemployment because they could not verify me and there were no offices I could go to. It was a crazy time and yes, again, a humbling time. Nonetheless, we made it through!
Leading Vanguard Leadership Academy has been such a delight and a challenge all at the same time. In this infancy stage, it is hard to get funding, and the weight of trying to find ways to motivate others to give has been a lot. I also have to support the programs and touch basically everything that happens. It’s not unique to me, there are so many Executive Directors that are juggling it all. It is a lot of work, but what I’ve come to know is that when you are doing purpose driven work it is the only thing where when you pour out, it also pours back into you! I also just love being in this community where we support one another. We all are challenged to keep money coming in, but I love that we are each other’s cheerleaders. We do such good work with the programs and engaging the youth, and the founders and all the staff and volunteers really care about the youth we serve and the other nonprofits we support through our student leadership Ambassador Program. I believe that if we just keep doing the work, we will gain more sustainable donors and some major donors who are looking to invest in work to help unlock hidden potential in support of youth.
Overcoming self-doubt is a continual conversation. With every new phase, there is a new challenge and a new ( or old) devil trying to make you feel like you are not good enough. I’ve learned to hush that voice because I understand that alone, I am not able to do all that I have been called to do. It is only because I was chosen and purposed to walk through the doors that have been opened that I am confident that I am more than enough because it is HE who sent me. It is not in my own strength that I face the challenge each day of showing up for others to do all I can to contribute to their success and help them see their greatness. At this big age of 50, I have stopped trying to kick down doors. I allow the doors that God wants to open to open and when they do, I continuously tell myself, I am here because I am supposed to be here. It was in God’s plan and there is work here that only I can do and I message that I want sent to deliver.
I have experienced things that most don’t even know yet but through it all, God has been with me and has been faithful. I hope to release my book this year that will tell the story about the kind of love that changes everything.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Vanguard Leadership Academy?
Vanguard Leadership Academy is dedicated to empowering underserved and overlooked high school students by equipping and inspiring them to reach their full potential. We focus on holistic education, instilling confidence, increasing awareness, and fostering a strong sense of community. Our vision is to help cultivates forward-thinking and compassionate leaders poised to create positive change within their communities and beyond. Founded by Hilliard V. Castilla and M. Gino Brogdon Sr.
At Vanguard Leadership Academy (VLA), we focus on leadership development and personal growth for high school students. Our programs are designed to teach a myriad of topics important to becoming a great leader including self-awareness, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and emotional intelligence. We aim to prepare them for a world where they can be authentic and successful, so we help them choose the path that is right for them. We offer a range of initiatives, including our Student Leadership Ambassador Program focused on community service and leadership in action and the Summer Leadership Intensive (SLI), which provide students with an opportunity to gain tools and skills they need to succeed in their personal and professional lives. We invite them to join the VLA community, taking advantage of the larger network and the opportunity to be in a supportive community.
What sets us apart is our commitment to being there for the long-haul and our focus on the overlooked student. Research calls them the average ability student. This is the student that is not the high achiever nor the low achiever who is failing or the trouble maker. This is the student who just flies under the radar, passing but not doing nearly as much as they could. These are the students that aren’t noticed much and are not motivated, not because they can’t be but because our school systems are not set up to focus on the middle group of students. This is not an indictment again the public school system but rather an acknowledgement that they can only focus on so much. We gladly offer our support in taking those underserved and overlooked student. We believe in going beyond just the normal classroom education, we want to introduce them to all types of options for careers and expose them to arts, culture, etc. We also strongly believe in the power of community and the importance of creating a supportive environment where students can thrive. Our programs are not just about academic success; they are about developing well-rounded individuals who are confident, self-aware, and ready to lead. We also emphasize the importance of real-world skills, such as financial literacy and entrepreneurship, which are often overlooked in traditional education. This is why we are launching an apprenticeship program where students can receive hands-on training.
Brand-wise, I am most proud that we chose to focus on the students that are not the typical focus. I also am proud that we made it more than just about access to finances. We realize that often our underserved communities are indeed overlooked and we want to help them. We also recognize that you don’t have to be underserved or financially challenged to be overlooked. We realize that there are students who may not be lacking financially but are unseen, unchallenged, depressed and in need of someone to care about them too. At VLA we want each student to know that WE SEE YOU! and we care! I am so proud of the positive impact we had on students’ lives during our inaugural Summer Leadership Intensive in 2024. Seeing the transformation in our students as they gain confidence, develop new skills, and build lasting relationships is incredibly rewarding. It was so great during our Summer Celebration to hear all the testimonials of the students and parents. I look forward to the new students we will see this June.
We want readers to know that Vanguard Leadership Academy is more than just an educational institution; it is a community dedicated to nurturing the leaders of tomorrow. Our programs are designed to be engaging, interactive, and impactful. We offer a safe and supportive environment where students can explore their potential, develop their skills, and build a strong foundation for their future. Whether it’s through our leadership programs, financial literacy workshops, or entrepreneurship training and apprenticeship program, we are committed to helping our students succeed and make a positive impact in their communities.. We invite everyone to learn more about our programs and see how we can make a difference together by going to our website at www.vanguardlead.org. If there are parents, teachers, administrators, counselors or social workers that would like to bring our leadership training program to your school, please reach out to us at programs@vanguardlead.org.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Most people don’t know that I have always been quite shy and afraid to stand in front of people and talk, sing, or do anything. It is surprising to most because they’ve always seen me do it so when I say I don’t like it or I’m nervous or afraid they look at me like I’m crazy. The thing is that I never let it stop me. I’ve always pushed through and done things while afraid. I’m working on that now to really embrace all the opportunities to share light and love. My personal statement is to learn to love myself deeply so that I can teach others to do the same. I look forward to the next phase of my life where most of my time is spent teaching. Whether going from school to school doing leadership workshops, speaking at womens retreats and conferences, or partnering with purpose driven businesses, nonprofits and ministries to motivate and challenge them to keep working to be improved not approved( as my coach Vera Jones says) , I love sharing knowledge, insights and making a significant difference in the lives of all those I am blessed to spend time with
Also, my superpower is seeing value where others do not. When you look at where I serve, that shouldn’t be a surprise, but it has taken me a long time myself to understand that about me. It really is my superpower. I do it even when it comes to decor and organization. I will find an amazing use for things that others would just dismiss or throw away. ( and no, I’m not a hoarder! I use things, I don’t store things). I love that I’ve learned this and embrace it as my superpower because it makes me feel closer to God. God waste nothing and I am glad that I see value where others do not.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vanguardlead.org
- Instagram: vanguardleaders
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VLAcademy
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicia-momon-mba-a10b328
Image Credits
credit Malik Alrahim
